The Green House
by Kanoi-chan
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki lives in your typical suburbia house with his neglectfulabusive lover Orochimaru, his only escape being his greenhouse. However, when his new neighbor Uchiha Sasuke moves in the greenhouse becomes home to more than just Naruto's plants.
1. I'm Not Dead

Kanoi: YAY! I am starting a multi-chapter naruto fic!

Sasuke: Am I a bastard in this? And do I die?

Kanoi: -glares-

Naruto: Sasuke, she can't answer that in a longer fic.

Sasuke: -emos in the corner-

Kanoi: Anyway, this is unbetaed because one of my betas is having technical difficulties, another one is on vacation, and then the other one has seemingly fallen off the edge of the earth. However, the one who is having technical difficulties said the only problems she saw were a few commas, so we should be good. So thanks to Zuki-chan for the effort!

Naruto: Kanoi doesn't own Naruto. If she did, SasuNaru would be much more cannon than it already is.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naruto stared down the stairs leading to the cellar. Breathing was becoming increasingly more difficult, and his azure eyes were filling with an unfamiliar wetness. No longer able to stand due to the shaking of his knees, the blonde collapsed to the dirt-covered floor of his greenhouse. He could feel the bile rising up his quickly contracting throat. Never in his life had the dirt of his sanctuary smelled so revolting. It took a moment for his numb mind to figure out it wasn't the dirt that caused the stench, but rather the smell that was created when the soft substance was mixed with the already foul stench of blood.

Blue eyes widen as they finally took in the crumpled form at the bottom of the rickety, wooden steps. The blonde heard sirens in the distance; the noise seemed to be getting closer and closer. But the sound wasn't fully registering to the terrified man. His sense of hearing felt dulled, as if he had big balls of cotton stuffed in his ears. The bitter taste at the back of his tongue finally became too much for Naruto, causing the blonde to double up over himself and purge his stomach of all impurities. He couldn't breathe for hacking. Even long after he emptied his stomach he found himself still heaving, making him feel even more ill as warm tears spilled in ugly torrents down his sickly flushed cheeks.

When he heard the door fly open and glass walls splinter, the shock finally broke its spell. Wailing sobs escaped his raw and burning throat as he pressed violently shaking, dirt-covered hands to his hot ears.

!#$&()

Naruto smiled down at the pot which contained his newly planted seeds. The tanned man rubbed his hands together to try and rid them of the dirt but found himself laughing jovially when the dark substance just smudged his hands more. Deciding any more attempts to clean the dirt would just create a bigger mess the blonde instead opted for stretching his stiff back. In the process of relieving his tight muscles he found his impossibly blue eyes staring at the sky through the ceiling's green-tinted glass. The smile the man sported stretched across his young, tan face even more until it was impossibly large.

It was a beautiful, warm day that gave Naruto an incurably good mood. He wiped his perspiring forehead with the back of his arm, smearing dirt across his head in the process. The blonde looked lovingly around him at his plants, his babies, which ranged from ferns to the South African Calla Lily (with many others in between). The man was unfairly jerked away from his paradise by the beeping of his watch's alarm.

Naruto made his way over to the table at the far end of the vast greenhouse. Blazing blue eyes glared at the watch that beeped mockingly at him. A low, aggravated growl ripped itself from his throat as he snatched the evil device off the table. The blonde gave one last, mournful look to his assortment of plants before leaving his sanctuary for the day.

Naruto sighed in exhaustion as he stepped under the freezing water being sprayed by the showerhead. After he felt sufficiently cooled from the days exertions, the blonde turned the the water heat up a bit and made a grab for the soap. Naruto started to meticulously scrub the dirt from his sun-kissed skin, now freezing body warming to a comfortable temperature under the lukewarm water.

It seemed the instant he set the last bit of food on the table Naruto heard the door open and close. A warm smile spread across the man's features as his lover walked through the door connecting the kitchen to the sitting room. Naruto knew most people felt the two men to be an unusual pair, and he could see why as well- they were, after all, complete opposites. Where Naruto was lean and tan, the other man was gangly and pasty. Where Naruto's hair was a bright blonde and unruly, his lover's was as dark as the moonless night sky and always immaculate. While Naruto's eyes were bright blue and lively, the other man's were almost as black as his hair and cold and mocking.

"Naruto, dinner looks amazing," the detached voice of the blonde's lover commented.

Naruto smiled weakly.

"Thank you, Orochimaru," Naruto replied, his voice small.

The two took their usual seats at the rectangular table and began to eat in uncomfortable silence. A random comment might be thrown into the sickeningly cool air supplied by the horribly typical suburbia house's AC unit, but it was never enough to count as a real conversation.

After dinner was cleared away Naruto found himself under the older man, giving the occasional grunt of lukewarm pleasure. It was always better to play along with Orochimaru's bedtime games because if he didn't Orochimaru would assume Naruto wasn't having fun, and if Naruto wasn't having fun that meant the snake of a man would come up with new "games." Naruto had only experienced those games a few times, but every time reminded him not to get lax in his ruse. Once Orochimaru found himself sated, he fell asleep on his side of the large bed. This left Naruto to stare at the dark ceiling until his eyes eventually fell closed and his body surrendered to the warmth of sleep.

!#$&()

Naruto cursed for what he swore had to be the fifteenth time that day as potting soil was spilled all over his work table. It was official the blonde decided, he **hated** movers. It seemed his new neighbors were finally moving in, and Naruto decided it would be a miracle if his new neighbors had any furniture left. From the sound of it the moving men had dropped almost everything they laid their hands on. The racket was almost to make Naruto stop his horticulture work early and seek refuge in his quite house. Almost.

!#$&()

Naruto made sure to send as deadly a glare as possible in the direction of the house next door as he stepped out into the burning sun of late summer. He felt an urge to tear down the white picket fence and put up a huge sound proof, concrete box around his house in its place. He was covered in more dirt than usual, and it had been no fault of his planting. It was all thanks to the noise made by his stupid new neighbor and said neighbor's moving men.

!#$&()

"You're awfully quiet today, Naruto," Orochimaru commented conversationally.

Naruto grunted in response.

"It would appear that our new neighbors have finally moved in," the sickly pale man continued.

"I noticed," the blonde grumbled.

"I was thinking of inviting them over for dinner tomorrow."

Naruto stopped his violent eating to stare at his lover with wide eyes, but instead of voicing his opinion on the matter (a flat out "No!"), he heard a small voice say, "Of course." It took the blonde all of five seconds to recognize that pathetic voice as his own.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Kanoi: If you're very confused, sorry. The first scene is the end of the story and then it goes back to the very beginning. That's really all I have to say right now. Hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Leave Me Breathless

Naruto glared at his newly potted snake palms as if they were the source of all his troubles. In a sense, they were. Snake palms were exotic and considered weird by many, much like Orochimaru, and it was said lover that had the man in a foul mood. If Orochimaru hadn't decided to invite the stupid, new neighbor over, Naruto wouldn't have a reason to take his frustrations out on his beautiful flowers. Now, due to his bad mood, the newest members of his greenhouse would have a poor impression of him. He only hoped his older plants would let the others know he wasn't usually so cranky.

Naruto let out a string of obscenities that would make a sailor proud as he had yet another kitchen mishap. This time he had nearly liberated a toe from his foot with a rebellious knife that had decided to give flight a try. Naruto had always been proud that despite his natural clumsiness he never once made mistakes when it came to a kitchen or garden (his best friend growing up had been right when she said he would one day make a perfect housewife). It was for this reason he became more irritable with every mistake he made.

Naruto clenched his jaw in what he hoped was a presentable smile when he heard the door open, followed closely by two voices. Orochimaru and their neighbor walked through the door. Naruto stood by the table as any good housewife would when her husband came home from work. He prayed the burning smell was no longer detectable; he would not have his obnoxious new neighbor have any reason to think he was a lousy cook.

"Naruto, this is our new neighbor Sasuke," Orochimaru said as he gestured to the man next to him. "Sasuke, may I introduce you to my beautiful lover Naruto."

When Naruto saw Sasuke's perfectly sculptured face, perfectly emotionless eyes, and perfectly muscled body, he knew immediately this was someone he would dislike. Sasuke was too pale and well groomed to be one who would enjoy the outdoors. Sasuke's face was too trained not have an ego the size of Eurasia. Sasuke was far too much like a young Orochimaru for Naruto to be able to trust him.

Throughout the course of dinner, Naruto refused to participate in the conversations, even when coaxed by Orochimaru. He knew his grunts would get him in trouble later, but he didn't care. Talking to Sasuke would only get him in more trouble than not talking at all.

Naruto hummed a soft tune as he tended his orchids. His mood had greatly improved. It had been several terrible days since the dinner with Sasuke, but now Orochimaru was gone for the next three weeks. Naruto loved when his partner went away on business trips- it gave him much needed peace and quiet. However, it didn't seem that fate was going to allow him any peace and quiet.

"Excuse me…"

Naruto turned around and was barely able to restrain the feral growl crawling up his throat. In the doorway of his greenhouse stood the pompous Uchiha bastard.

"What do you want?" Naruto spat.

"I was just wondering what time Orochimaru would be home tonight," Sasuke asked.

Naruto replied curtly, "He won't be."

When Sasuke gave him a blank look, Naruto growled in irritation.

"He's away on a business trip; he'll be gone for three weeks," the blonde clarified.

"Oh…" was Sasuke's only response.

Naruto stood, staring expectantly at Sasuke and waiting for him to leave.

Instead of leaving, Sasuke looked around at all of the beautiful plants.

"Do you take care of all of these by yourself?" he asked in awe.

"Yes," was Naruto's clipped response. He was getting impatient.

"It can't be easy," Sasuke wondered aloud.

"The ease is irrelevant," Naruto snapped.

Instead of taking the hint and leaving, Sasuke took a few more steps into the greenhouse and inspected the plants.

"They're all so healthy. You must take very good care of them," Sasuke complimented.

"They are like my children," Naruto replied curtly.

Sasuke's dark eyes traveled to the flowers behind Naruto and widened a fraction.

"Orchids?" the dark-haired man asked.

"Yes, orchids," the blonde replied in exasperation.

Sasuke's eyes softened as he continued to stare at the pale flowers.

"They look happy," said Sasuke.

Naruto blinked in confusion before saying. "Thank you…"

The odd moment was broken by the ring of Sasuke's cell phone.

The Uchiha pulled out his cell phone and stared at the name before placing the phone back in his pocket, a petulant look on his face.

"You're not going to answer it?" Naruto asked seriously and curiously.

"No," Sasuke replied shortly.

An awkward silence followed.

"So…" Naruto began in an attempt to end the awkwardness. "How do you know orchids so well?"

"Oh, I really don't know them that well," Sasuke responded.

"Of course you do! You were able to gauge their emotions," Naruto said with a bright smile. "So how is it a guy like you is so sensitive to flowers' feelings?"

"A guy like me?" Sasuke repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. Come on, you have to admit you don't look at all like the type who has a green thumb," Naruto explained with a fox-like grin.

"I suppose I understand what you're saying," Sasuke said hesitantly.

"Yep!" the blonde chirped triumphantly. "So are you going to answer my question?"

Sasuke looked at the orchids, eyes softening again.

"My mother used to have a garden, and orchids were her favorite. We had so many every year… until she got sick. No one else in my family had the green thumb she did, so the garden fell into ruin. When she died so did the garden…" Sasuke looked so lonely, and it made Naruto's stomach clench.

Another silence. Naruto made his way to hid orchids and inspected them. Sasuke watched in curiosity. Carefully, delicately, Naruto took the stems of two particularly beautiful flowers and cut them away/ He made his way back to Sasuke and wrapped the other man's hands around the stems.

"Don't let them get lonely," the blonde commanded sternly.

A warm smile lit up Sasuke's face. "Thank you." Sasuke left the greenhouse, the orchids held lovingly.

Naruto stood with a smile a little longer before he returned to his work.


	3. Poor Unfortunate Souls

Kanoi: OH MY GOD

Kanoi: OH MY GOD! I AM SO SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!

Sasuke: No.

Kanoi: I wasn't talking to you, shut up!

Sasuke: You should be. You made me stand still in some fanfic forever.

Kanoi: Get over it! I wrote about you in other things anyway!

Naruto: Guys, guys, stop fighting!

Kanoi & Sasuke: Shut up, Dobe!

Naruto: …Well, as you can see, the tension is running high. Mostly because Kanoi feels absolutely terrible for letting four months elapse between updates. However, chapter three is finally here 'ttebayo! It is, however, unbeta'd at the moment, so please try to over-look any errors. Also, Kanoi does not own Naruto. If she did… the most recent chapters would have been a bit different.

* * *

Day two without Orochimaru had been particularly wonderful for Naruto. He had spent most of the day right from sun-up in his greenhouse. His only real break from tending his children was for ramen, something he rarely got to enjoy now-a-days since it was not a food Orochimaru was fond of. Naruto was so absorbed in his work that he failed to notice someone had entered his greenhouse until there was a hand on his tight shoulder.

"What the fuck?" Naruto shouted as he spun around, brandishing a spade. His eyes narrowed as he stared into the dark eyes of his new neighbor. "Teme."

Sasuke's pale lips twisted into a smirk.

"I didn't know you scared so easily," Sasuke mocked.

"I knew it!" Naturo exclaimed, to which Sasuke raised one of his elegant eyebrows quizzically.

"Knew what?" the dark-haired man asked, obvious interest in his voice.

"That you were an arrogant bastard!" the blonde proclaimed.

"What?" Sasuke sputtered. "How the hell did you get that impression?"

"I could just tell! And you made it completely obvious with that smirk just now."

Sasuke muttered under his breath, "Tch, Dobe."

"What?" Naruto shrieked.

Sasuke couldn't help wincing; he had been unaware grown men could reach that high of a pitch.

"You're **so** rude! First, you barge into my greenhouse, and now you're insulting me! No wonder Orochimaru has an interest in you!"

"Wait… what?" Sasuke asked in puzzlement.

Naruto paused in his tirade to direct at Sasuke a very eloquent, "Huh?"

"What do you mean 'no wonder Orochimaru likes me'?" Sasuke demanded.

Naruto rolled his eyes and explained, "You're just like he used to be when he was younger," as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in calculation at the blonde, eliciting the urge to run away in Naruto. Of course, that urge always caused him to become more stubborn and assertive.

"What?" the gardener demanded.

Sasuke opened his mouth and then paused as if he was unsure of what he was going to say. After a moment so short that no normal person would be able to detect, Sasuke barreled on with the question, "If you dislike him so much, then why are you with him?"

"I never said I dislike him," Naruto answered quickly, but the discomfort on his face was obvious.

Deciding it would be best to pursue a different course of action, Sasuke asked, "How did you end up with someone like Orochimaru anyway? You two seem so different. I know opposites are supposed to attract, but it seems like you two are crossing the line."

A sly grin spread across the blonde's face as he sing-songed, "I'm not telling."

Faster than Naruto's brain could process the table was digging uncomfortable into his back, and Sasuke was looming over him with hands on either side.

"God damn it, Dobe," Sasuke growled.

"Anger management problems?" Naruto questioned, glaring fiercely at his attacker.

Choosing to ignore the blonde's comment, Sasuke reminded Naruto, "I told you about my past."

"I never asked to know," Naruto countered.

The two men glared at each other until Sasuke pulled away as if he had been burned.

"Forget it," the dark-haired man muttered and then stormed out.

In Sasuke's wake, Naruto blinked in confusion.

Naruto stared at the bag of potting soil, not really seeing it. It had been five days since his rather violent encounter with Sasuke. Despite the argument, Sasuke had shown up at the greenhouse the next day and all the days following. Surprisingly, Naruto found that he quite enjoyed his neighbor's company and that they actually got along quite well. It was a comforting companionship Naruto hadn't felt in quite a few years. He smiled when he heard soft footsteps on the dirt.

"I almost thought you weren't going to show up," Naruto said, referencing to the steadily rising moon outside. "I had almost got my hopes up." Naruto found he quite enjoyed having someone he could tease.

Sasuke smirked. He didn't respond to Naruto's comment though, choosing instead to say, "I'm surprised you're still out here. Don't you ever go inside? Or were you perhaps waiting on someone?" His smirk grew.

The gardener snorted. "Don't flatter yourself; I simply enjoy it here at night. It's very serene."

"I'm surprised you know what serene means." Despite his jibe, the business man found himself agreeing. At night, there was very little light, and what light it did have was being supplied by several (very few) dim lamps. The light bouncing and reflecting off the green walls created a very ambient atmosphere. Sasuke stared at the mood through the glass ceiling in thought.

He was brought out of his reverie by Naruto asked, "What took you so long?"

Sasuke turned his attention back to the blonde.

"A stupid meeting made me fall behind in my paperwork," Sasuke snorted.

"Ah…" Naruto nodded.

Sasuke crossed the room to examine the soil on the table. "Were you planting something?"

"Not really." Naruto shrugged. "I was just refilling some of the pots."

The Uchiha nodded and then asked, "How do you even manage to take care of all these?" He was referring, of course, to the seemingly endless amounts of flowers, ferns, and other assorted plants.

Naruto stared at a couple of the hanging plants before casually responding, "I just do."

Sasuke's face fell at the lackluster response.

Naruto grinned cheekily. "Were you expecting some epic adventure story? Cause, ya know, I can make one up if you want."

"Tch, idiot," Sasuke muttered, though his face held an amused smirk.

Naruto held his hand over his heart to express how deeply wounded he was by the comment. The act was pretty much ruined by his cackling laugh though.

Hours had passed, and the moon was high and shining beautifully in the greenhouse. The lamps had been turned off a while ago so as not to confuse the plants. Naruto and Sasuke were both lying on the dirt ground, staring up at the twinkling stars. The greenhouse was filled with relaxed, sleepy silence. Crickets and frogs could be heard outside; perhaps, there were even a few hiding inside. It was a picturesque setting, almost dreamlike.

"Oi, oi, Sasuke," Naruto whispered rather loudly, leaning up on his elbows.

"What, Ursakontachi?" Sasuke asked, voice laced with exasperation.

"Um… Thanks for hanging out with me," the blonde muttered. He was embarrassed to say such a thing. He greatly hoped the dark hid his blush.

"You act like you have no friends," the Uchiha teased, voice infuriatingly smug (at least in Naruto's opinion).

Naruto stared at his feet, trying to see if he had obtained X-ray vision to watch his toes wiggle inside his shoes.

The silence grew uncomfortable.

"Don't tell me I was right!" Sasuke said in surprise, sitting up. Sure, the blonde was annoying, but there was no reason to not have friends. Hell, Sasuke found the blonde's weird personality to be endearing and, dare he say it?, cute.

"I have friends," Naruto grumbled, sporting a pout like a little child.

"Right," Sasuke nodded skeptically.

"I do!" Naruto shouted. "I just… They don't live around here, and I don't get to talk to them very often." Naruto licked his lips nervously.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"It's my fault!" Naruto quickly added. "Sakura's always trying to get a hold of me, and I never respond."

"Why not?" the Uchiha ventured to ask. He didn't think Naruto seemed like the type to just ignore his friends.

"Well, Orochimaru's kinda possessive, ya know?" Naruto responded, trying to act casual. His eyes betrayed how he really felt.

For some reason, Sasuke felt angry. Not at Naruto, but at Orochimaru. He felt the need to ask so much more, but the sadness in Naruto's eyes stopped him.

"He doesn't even really like me having this greenhouse, but he can't find a reason to keep from it." Naruto laughed, but to Sasuke the noise sounded hollow and bitter.

Uchiha Sasuke was not a good or nice person, which was why he was so confused when he felt the urge to make Naruto feel better. Uchiha Sasuke wasn't one to ever act on a whim either, which was why he was so surprised when he pulled Naruto to his chest in a hug that was supposed to be comforting.

Naruto stiffened when Sasuke hugged him; he hadn't been expecting that. After the surprise subsided however, Naruto relaxed. Sasuke was surprisingly comfortable for how boney he looked.

Sasuke decided Naruto made him act strangely, though he didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Not long after Naruto's breathing evened out and he began to snore quietly, Sasuke laid back. His eyelids began to feel heavy and slide shut.

The two men slept under the moon, wrapped in each other's arms. Both slept better that night than they had in a long time.

* * *

Kanoi: I'm rather happy with the characterization in this chapter. I think I kept them very close to IC. Of course, it's not perfectly IC because that just wouldn't work so well right now…

Naruto: You've been role-playing far too much.

Sasuke: Yeah, you almost based our personalities off those imposters.

Kanoi: Shut up. They act just like you two

Naruto & Sasuke: THEY DON'T!

Kanoi: They do, but believe whatever helps you sleep at night. Anyway, once again, I'm SO sorry for the incredibly long wait between chapters. Hopefully that won't happen again. I hope this was worth the wait though… Probably wasn't, but I tried.


End file.
